Uber Technologies' Careem subsidiary says it is cutting 536 jobs this week, representing 31 per cent of the Dubai-headquartered company's workforce.

The announcement came hours after Uber said it was shuttering its Eats delivery business in several markets, including the Middle East, and laying off dozens of staff.

“As we have discussed several times in the last few weeks, the crisis brought on by Covid-19 has put our dream and future impact at significant risk,” Chief Executive Mudassir Sheikha said in a blog on Careem's website.

Sheikha, who founded the company in 2012, said business was down by more than 80pc and that it was “alarmingly unknown” when it would recover.